April 30, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

915

H’40-11‘50 mk.; screenings, 10*30-10'40 mk.; washed
slack, 10'20 mk.; dust, 5'80-6'20 mk. Gas and bitu-
minous coals: large, 15'60-16'30 mk.; cubes, 15'60-
16 30 mk.; nuts I., 15'60-16 30 mk.; nuts IL, 13'90-
14'60 mk.; peas, 11'50-12'50 mk. ; through-and-tbrough,
14 mk.; small, 12 mk. These prices, which are per ton
f.o.r. at mine, show an advance of from 0'50 to 2'10 mk.
over the old list,. -

Supply of Coal to Switzerland During the War.

Out of a total importation of 313,726 tons (520,330
tons in 1913) of coal, 85,306 tons (117,370 tons) of coke
and 160,873 tons (232,806 tons) of briquettes, in-the third
quarter of 1914, 261,535 tons (417,742 tons) of coal,
77,860 tons (101,147 tons) of coke and 148.706 tons
(213,688 tons) of briquet! es were received from Germany.
France supplied about 30,000 tons in all, Belgium about
18,000 tons, and Great Britain 13,000 tons. Since the
French and Belgian supplies were cut oil by the war,
and British shipments have not exceeded 50,000 tons
per annum of late years, Switzerland has now to rely
almost entirely on Germany for mineral fuel.

Rhine Traffic.

The rise of the river and its chief tributari s about
the middle of the month caused considerable delay in
the traffic, it being impossible to tow long tiains of coal
barges up the river. The floods also affected work at
the staiths in the. Ruhr harbours, The result of the
delay has been to accentuate the scarcity of coal in
South Germany. The demand for large craft is
unsatisfactory, and numbers are lying idle; but smaller
vessels are in better request and earn beiter freights.
Up-river towage rates have risen by 50 per cent., the
floods reducing the haubng capacity of the tugs and
also causing increased risk of collision.

Goal and Lignite Production in Prussia in 1914.

The total coal production in Prussia amounted to
152,957,673 tons (179,861,015 tons in 1913), of which
41,843,682 tons (48,966,803 tons) were raised in the
Breslau district, 6,067 tons (8,466 tons) in the Halle
district, 638,294 ions (725,353 tons) at Clausthal,
94,851,288 tons (110,811,590 tons) in the Dortmund
district, and 15,618,342 tons (19,398,898 tons) in the
Burn district. The total brown coil output was
67,375,718 tons (70,051,871 tons), 1,698,677 tons (2,286,344
tons) being raised in the Breslau district, 45,148,212
tons (46,866,490 tons) in the Halle district, 976,017 tons
(1.106,144 tons) in the Clausthal district, and 19,552,812
tons (20,338,734 tons) in the Bonn district. As com-
pared with the previous year, there was a deficit of
14'98 per cent, in the coal output, and of 4'56 per cent,
in that of brown coal. The total quantity of coal dis-
tributed was 152,119,810 tons (180,001,157 tons), a deficit
of 27,881,347 tons, or 15'49 per cent.; and of brown coal
67,476,237 tons (70,599,565 tons), a deficit of 3,123,328
tons, or 4'42 per cent. The number of men engaged in
coal mining decreased from 639,094 to 597,144. and in
mining brown coal from 59,866 to 55,222.

Foreigners Engaged in German Coal Mines.

Out of a total of 232,322 persons engaged in mining
and metallurgical works in the Rhineland last year,
23,565, or 9'21 per cent., were foreigners ; out of 358,443
in Westphalia, 18,341, or 6'33 per cent., were of foieign
birth.

Fuel Traffic on the Rhine-Herne Canal.

In March the total shipments of coal, coke and
briquettes amounted to 166,158 tons (116,357 tons in
February), of which 20,518 tons (16,404 tons) were con-
signed from the Arenberg-Prosper Colliery, 42,752 tons
(29,275 tons) from Bottrop, 30,181 tons (15,485 tons) from
Mathias Stinnes, 2,132 tons (3,305 tons) from Nord stern,
26,894 tons (15,020 tons) from Bismarck, 13.027 tons
(12,961 tons) from Wanne-West, 8,658 tons (8,543 tons)
from Konig Ludwig, 19,276 tons (15.364 tons) from
Friedrich der Grosse, and 2,720 tons (—) from Concordia
Colliery.

German By-products Unions.

After prolonged negotiations it has been decided to
renew the Ammonia Sales Association until April 1,
1921. The Benzol Sales Association has still to run
until the end of next year, and will continue automati-
cally for another two years unless notice of termination
be given. On the other hand, the Tar Sales Association
is not expected to be renewed, since its members distil
most of the tar produced and sell the products to the
Tar-products Sales Association.

German Steel Works Union.

The total production in March amounted to 351,560
tons of raw steel, as compared with 266,905 tons in
February and 560,527 tons in March of last year.
Deliveries : Semis, 86,865 tons (66,050 tons in February
and 153,170 tons last March) ; railway super-structural
material, 160,435 tons (140,490 tons and 206,324 tons
respectively); and figured iron, 101,260 tons (60,365 tons
and 201,033 tons respectively).

Company Reports.

Lugauer Steinkolilenbauverein, Lugau.—The coal out-
put for the year was 175,408 tons (208,974tons), which
sold at an average of 15'91 mk. (18'83 mk.) per ton.
After writing off 85,727 mk. (114,517 mk.), a net profit
of 192,000 mk. (310,000 mk ) was obtained, from which a
dividend of 10 per cent. (16^ per cent.) is to be paid on
the original shares, and 15 per cent. (21J percent) on
the preference shares.

Dilsseldorfer Bohrenindustrie, Dusseldorf. — Gross
profits, as settled with the Gelsenkirchener Berg works
A. G., 779,981 mk. (981,814 mk.), of which 622,981 mk.
(493,318 mk.) have been written off for depreciation, and
210,000mk. \385,000mk.) distributed as a 4'2 percent.
(7'7 per cent.) dividend.

A. Gf. Buderussche JEisenwerke, Wetzlar.—The net
profit of 250,898 mk. (2,205,920 mk.) is to be carried
forward. Last year the dividend was 7 per cent.

TRADE AND THE WAR.

The works at Queensferry formerly owned by Messrs.
Willans and Robinson, of Rugby, and recently used as a
concentration camp for German prisoners, has been taken
over by the Admiralty for use in manufacturing munitions of
war, and the prisoners are being transferred in batches to
other camps in various parts of the kingdom.

With a view to the continuation and extension of the
system of obtaining coal direct from collieries during
the year 1915-16, the London County Council has arranged,
as a matter of urgency, for the hire of 54 railway wagons,
and is also taking steps to obtain suitable railway depot
accommodaticn. The arrangement for the hire of wagons
is for a period of three years, but the Stores Committee
mention, if they are not required by the Council for more
than one year, they can probably be sublet.

A report of the Highways Committee of the London
County Council states that in view of the exceptional
circumstances now prevailing, it has authorised the
purchase, for use at the Greenwich generating station, of
coal as and when it can be obtained. Under this authority
approximately 34,275 tons of coal have been purchased
under contract, at a cost of approximately <£42,507, and
about 44,870 tons out of contract, at a cost of £46,302. The
Council has also agreed to one of the contractors for the
supply of ccal to the station making the best arrangements
possible for obtaining a steamer in place of one which had
been interned, the Council meeting the additional cost
thereby incurred.

It is stated that on and after May 1 a revised scale of
charges for the cartage of a certain quality of traffic will be
introduced by the railway companies throughout the
country. The effect of the revision will be slightly to
enhance charges on “ station to station traffic ”—traffic
consigned from one station to another dealt with by the
companies.

It is officially announced that Major-General Sir Percy
Girouard has resigned his seat on the board of directors of
Messrs. Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth, and Company
Limited. Simultaneously with the news of his resignation,
the following announcement was made in the Lon < on
G zette: Brevet Col. Sir E. P. C. Girouard, K.C., M.G.,
D.S.O., of the Reserve Officers to be temporary Major-
General. Last week, in the House of Commons, Mr. Lloyd
George paid a high tribute to Sir Percy for the services he
had so far rendered in the scheme for adapting engineering
and other works to the needs of armament production. Sir
Percy Girouard was appointed a director of the Elswick
firm in July 1912. His record is well known, and during
the time he has been actively identified with Messrs.
Armstrong, Whitworth and Company he has been regarded
as an extremely able business man.

The Petrograd Council of Ministers has adopted rules
designed to ensure the supply of fuel for military and naval
establishments, the Department of Communications, and
private concerns engaged in the work of Imperial defence.
In localities on a war or extraordinary defence footing all
concerns occupied in the acquisition of fuel are required to
give precedence to official orders and to furnish the Minister
of Communications with all necessary information regarding
their activity in such enterprises. They are relieved of all
responsibility for any consequent failure to fulfil private
contracts on time. Should such concerns refuse to accept
official contracts or fail to fulfil the same the authorities
are empowered to effect a sequestration. If it is deemed
necessary the Minister of Communications may exercise the
right of Army commanders to levy a general or particular
requisition of fuel. In both cases the selling price of fuel
is fixed by special provincial commissions. The Minister is
further invested with extensive powers to permit the
stocking of fuel to any amount, either at home or abroad,
and to demand the production of commercial books and
documents relating to stocks of fuel or obligations assumed
vis a vis of firms or individuals to commandeer private
stocks at cost price, &c.

The general instructions given by the Admiralty and
the Board of Trade to the managers of interned
steamers are, it appears, that “the rates are to be below,
rather than above, the market rates, and are to lead the
market in a downward direction/’ That was the explana-
tion given by the President of the Board of Trade to Mr.
Ronald M’Neill in the House last week. Mr. Ronald
M’Neill’s question was based on the complaint recently
made by the South Metropolitan Gas Company that while
the Government paid from 3s. 6d. to 4s. per ton for steamers
requisitioned for Government use, they charged no less
than 10s. per ton to traders for the use of interned enemy
ships. Mr. Runciman’s reply to this was that if the gas
company’s circular was intended to convey the impression
that 10s. was the rate now being paid for the use of interned
vessels for carrying coal to London, it was inaccurate.
At one time, he admitted, the rate did reach 10s., but he
added that it had been much below that figure for a long
time past.

A further notice to importers and exporters has been
issued calling their attention to the provisions of the
Trading with the Enemy, Proclamation of September 9,
and intimating that, with a view to preventing breaches
of this Proclamation, importers may be required to
produce certificates of origin issued by his Majesty’s
consular officers, and exporters to make declarations
of the ultimate destination of their goods. Declarations
of the ultimate destination of goods exported to any
foreign place in Europe or on the Mediterranean Sea, with
the exception of those situated in Russia and France, are
now, in view of the provisions of section 5 (1) of the
Customs (War Powers) Act, 1915, required to be made to
the collectors or other proper officers of Customs and
Excise, in accordance with the Customs Order issued under
section 139 of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, as
extended by section 2 of the Customs (War Powers) Act.
The statutory declarations hitherto made before Justices of
the Peace or Commissioners of Oaths will no longer be
required. For the present certificates of origin will not be
required in respect of imports of the bond fide personal and
household effects of persons entering this country, of food-
stuffs, of timber of any kind (including pit-props), straw-
board, mechanical wood pulp, cut flowers, flax or flax
seed, iron ore, granite, granite setts for paving, paving stones,
kerbstone, slatestone, cod liver oil, ice, marble, alabaster,
siena earth, tar, carbide of calcium or cyanamide of calcium,
or in respect of any imports from places other than those

situated in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland,
and Italy, or in respect of goods imported from an allied
country by way of a neutral country on a through bill of
lading or by through postal parcel, or in respect of goods of
enemy origin imported under licence. The certificates
referred to must be in the form prescribed. Any goods,
wares, or merchandise imported from the above-mentioned
foreign places, unaccompanied by Certificates of Origin,
will be detained by the Commissioners of Customs and
Excise until the requisite certificates are produced. The
Commissioners are, however, authorised in such cases, and
at their discretion, to allow delivery of the goods on the
security of a deposit or of a bond to the amount of three
times the value of the goods with a view to the production
of the necessary certificates within a prescribed period,
provided that they see no reason for suspecting that the
goods emanate from enemy territory. The notice takes
effect as from May 3, 1915.

During the first two months of the present year 230,728 tons
of coal and 28,673 tons of coke were imported into Spain, as
compared with 464,168 tons of coal and 53,392 tons of coke
in the same period of 1914. Exports of iron ore amounted
to 559,984 tons, as against 1,358,145 tons, and 1,771 tons of
manganese ore were exported, as against 2,757 tons.

A “ Colliery Secretary/’writing to the Financial Tinies,
says :—“ It will probably interest you to know that in the
form which was issued to the Lancashire colliery owners,
and which they were asked to fill in, there was no mention
in any shape or form of selling price and no question raised
as to the weight of fuel sold under contract and the weight
for disposal in the open market. The questions referred
only to the weights raised at the present time and the
weights raised 12 months ago. Of course, it is obvious that
no estimate of selling price could be formed from this
information, and I am venturing to give you a case which
will illustrate the position of the coal trade in Lancashire
to-day. A colliery with which I am acquainted has 72 per
cent, of its output under contract, 10 per cent, is taken for
colliery consumption, leaving a margin of 18 per cent, for
disposal in the open market. This colliery raises roughly
2,000 tons per day, so that it has 1,440 tons under contract,
200 tons taken for colliery consumption, and 360 tons to sell
in the open market. The average selling price under
contract is 10s. 6d. per ton, and the increase in the open
market may be roughly taken as 7s. per ton, certainly not
more, leaving 1,440 tons at 10s. 6d. and 360 tons at 17s. 6d.,
giving an average selling price on the whole of its “ sold ”
output of 11s. 10'80d., or an increase of Is. 4'80d. Against
this we have the statement of the Board of Trade Committee
that the cost has been increased by 3s. per ton, so that the
owner is worse off by Is. 7'20d. per ton than he was in July
1914. The following incident may show the public who
should take some of the blame. The colliery I have spoken
of, after consulting the men’s wishes, shut down on
Thursday, April 1, the men electing to play Friday, Satur-
day and, of course, Sunday, thus giving the whole of its
men three days for holidays. The pits were reopened on
Monday, April 5, but owing to the number of men attending
work amounting to 46| per cent, only of the total available,
the works had to be shut down again. The following day,
Tuesday, 20 per cent, were still absent. Have the public
any idea what a thing of this sort costs the owner ? ”

In the trades compulsorily insured against unemploy-
ment the rate of unemployment is less than half the rate of
a year ago. The percentage on April 9 was 1'40, compared
with 1'66 a month ago, and 3'51 a year ago.

At the meeting of the London County Council, on
Tuesday, Mr. Leon asked whether, in view of the probable
high price of coal next winter, consideration would be given
to a suggestion that the Council should, during the summer,
purchase large supplies in order to retail it during the
winter to the poor at cost price. Major Gray, the vice-
chairman of the Council, replied that this matter was now
under consideration.

It is understood that Mr. Russell Rea, the member for
South Shields, has been appointed chairman of a special
committee to enquire into the question of the desirability
or otherwise of stopping the export of coal during the war.
With Mr. Rea there will be associated in the enquiry Sir
Douglas Owen and Sir R. Redmayne. The terms of
reference will be the same as in the case of the committee
on rubber exports.

In the Commercial Court on Wednesday, before Mr.
Justice Rowlatt, Messrs. W. Puch and Co., of Cardiff,
brought an action against the Ellerman Lines Limited,
asking for declaration that on the true construction of a
contract dated May 8, 1914, the plaintiffs were not liable to
make deliveries of certain coal during the currency of the
present war. It appeared that a contract had been
entered into between the parties for the supply to defen-
dants of 20,000 tons of steam coal, delivery to be made
during 12 calendar months, beginning in July 1914, in as
equal amounts per month as possible. One of the clauses
stated that in the event of the United Kingdom being at
war with a European Power the quantity for delivery under
the contract for the period during which the war extended
should be cancelled. The contract was subject to an
arbitration clause. Mr. Justice Rowlatt said he was afraid
he could not go into this matter if any question of waiving
the war clause by taking deliveries were raised. Probably
he should not have granted the petition of the originating-
summons, but he felt that he could not deal with the
merits of the case in the absence of the issue of a writ. If
a writ were granted at once it would not be fair to call
upon the defendants to go on at once with the case, and he
could, therefore, make no order in the present action,
except order the plaintiffs to pay the defendants’ costs.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday several
questions were put to the President of the Board of Trade
with regard to the intentions of the Government regarding
the supply and price of coal. In reply Mr. Runciman said
he was in communication with the London County Council
regarding the Committee’s recommendation in favour of
the accumulation of a stock of coal in London. The rates
of freight on the interned steamships had been largely
reduced and the recommendation of the Retail Prices
Committee regarding the utilisation of prize ships had
been brought to the notice of the Prizes Disposal
Committee. The recommendation in favour of restricting
the export of coal to neutral countries raised very difficult
questions which were receiving his careful consideration,
and he expected to be able to announce the decision very
shortly.